1 week ago
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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson clashed with a Buffalo Bills fan who pushed DeAndre Hopkins before hitting out at again at the signal caller.
Hopkins and Jackson were celebrating after the wide receiver took a stunning one-handed catch to extend the Ravens' lead to 34-19 at the home of another Super Bowl contender.
One fan inexcusably reached out and slapped Hopkins' helmet as he danced in celebration with his teammates.
He then did the same to Jackson as he walked past and the quartback snapped, reaching over and grabbing the fan with both hands before pushing him away.
'I think Lamar saw the first one and took one himself,' NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said, watching the replay back.
'I'm not excusing, you can't go after fans in the stands but sometimes that gets a little ridiculous.'
Lamar Jackson pushed a Buffalo Bills fan who kept slapping players on the helmet
The fan started the incident by first slapping DeAndre Hopkins on the helmet after a TD
Most of the immediate social media reaction backed Jackson for protecting himself against the fan, as well.
'Don’t tell me Lamar Jackson did anything wrong here!' NFL Insider Jordan Schultz said on X. 'He was simply responding to a fan being utterly ridiculous and doing something no fan should EVER do — make contact with a player.'
Bills fans - known as 'Bills Mafia' - have a reputation for causing rowdy atmospheres, especially when their team plays in late games. They even have a 'table smashing' tradition when they tailgate before games begin at Highmark Stadium.
But reaching out and making contact with players is widely considered a step too far, anywhere in the NFL.
It reflected what had been a disappointing night for the Bills in the first game of a season where many backed them to make the step into serious Super Bowl contenders.
But they looked a level below the Ravens, who blew them away with running back Derrick Henry rushing for over 175 yards, as well as Jackson starting 2025 in fifth gear.
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